Sealed container



June 1, 1937. BRODRIQK 2,082,614

SEAL-ED CONTAINER Filed July 10, 1954 lNVENTOR L. Harod BrodrickATTORNEYS Patented June 1, 1937 I UNITED STATES.

PATENT orr cs This invention relates to containers, and moreparticularly to sanitary sealed containers.

By way of specific illustration of the invention,-

-but not in limitation thereof, the invention will be described asapplied to a ox or container used for face powder, Such c tainersordinarily comprise a cylindrical bottom or lower part open at the top,a cylindrical cover or top open at the bottom and ,fittingover the lowerpart, and a 1'0 drum or annular band forming a part of the bottop: orlower. half ,of the container and operating to hold in place at the topof the lower half of the container at frangible sealing paper frequentlymade of a transparent material, thus exposing the powder to inspectionwithout contamination.

Such containers as heretofore constructed are not truly sift-proof, forpowder may sift between the drum and bottom, and in many cases the drumactually shifts relative to the bottom unless the parts are cementedtogether which, however, is a slow, troublesome, and expensiveoperation.

The primary object of my invention is to generally improve sanitarysealed containers. More particular objects are to prevent shifting ofthe 1 '5 drum within the container and to make the lower part of thecontainer truly sift-proof without the use of cement or adhesive; toreduce the initial cost of the container, and,independently of initialcost, to reduce the expense attendant upon assembly and filling thecontainer with powder; to

provide a container the disassembled parts of which are in compactrelation for shipment and convenient relation for handling, there beingin by effect onlytwo parts to be shipped and handled: I)

,tainer; and, finally, to produce a container of Fig. l is a perspectiveview of an o ed con tainer embodying features of my inve ion; "Fig. atea vertical section through apart of the same; a

Fig. 3 isa vertical section through the drum of I my container; Q Fig. 4is a vertical 55 ofass embly of the container; and j although thecontainer is really a three-part conincreased strength and rigidity'andof improved section illustrating the mode Fig. 5 is a section through amodified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, thecontainer comprises a lower part made up of a D' closed ,at its upperend by a frangible m brane M, and at its lower end by a base or bottomB, and an upper part or cover C adapted to slip over the lower part witha slip fit. The membraneM may be made transparent, thus exposingthecontents for visual inspection without loss or contamination.

The membrane is readily broken by the purchaser who then relies upon theslip cover container.

The drum D is best shown in Fig. 3 and comprises a cylindrical wallclosed at one end by a membrane M but open at its opposite'end. The

open end is preferably curled inwardly to form a bead l2. The dru'm-isshown in Fig. 3 with its right side up, but it is inverted for thefilling operation. Thus, referring to Fig. 4, the drum D is shown ininverted condition, the membrane M 'being at the bottom. The drum isfilled with a quantity of the product being packaged. for ex-,-

ample-the face powder ll, whereupon the open end of the drum is closedby app thereto the bottom B. This bottom is snap to provide a peripheralundercut groove l8 which mates accurately with the bead 12, so that thebottom may be applied to the drum with a snap fit or engagement. Theclose fit of the parts, preferably maintained by the natural expansionof the curl l2, results in a tight-sift-proof joint. Use of a cement oradhesive is unnecessary and may be dispensed with.

The assembled drum and bottom then form the lower half of the. packageshown in Fig. 1 and may be inverted to permit the application thereto ofa .slip cover 0, as is shown in Fig. 2. In practice, the assembly of thepackage is even further simplified by placing the drum D within thecover Cduring manufacture of the container and prior to. shipment of thecontainer to the powder manufacturer. ,"lhe nested drum and cover shownin Fig. 4 are shipped and handled as a single unit. The container is, ineffect, only C close the each of the parts of which is substantiallyequal in size to the complete package. The height of, the drum D is madeequal to or slightly-greater than the internal height of the cover, thusexposing the curled edge 0 the drum. A measured quantity of the powderis laeed in'the doublewalled chamber, and the bottom is then applied andpressed home, as is indicated in Fig. 4. The complete package is thusfilled and assembled conveniently and rapidly, the assembly involving 5only a single quick'operation.

Considering the arrangement in "greater detail,

the box is made generally of paper, except for,

the bottom. The drum D comprises an annular band of rough or unfinishedpaper board, cardboard, or like fibrous material, which may be cut froma continuous tube and curled to .form the bead i2, in acordance withknown methods. The membrane M is thin and readily punctured. It may bemade transparent or not, according to the wishes of the purchaser. It isstretched over the end of the drum, and its edges are folded downwardlyabout the outer wall of the drum. A band E8 of finishing paper is thencemented around the exterior of the drum, serving the dual purpose ofholding the membrane M in place and of finishing the exposed exterior ofthe drum.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 through 4, the bottom B is made of thinsheet metal. This 5 sheet metal is pressed to form an upwardly dishedbottom 20 and is spun or otherwise shaped to provide the under-cutannular groove or shoulder lb. The disc projects outwardly form a flange22, and a. rounded and stiifened edge is obtainable even when using thinsheet metal by folding the edge inwardly, as indicated at 24. This foldis preferably made upwardly, and

the edge is terminated atsuch a point as to form a continuation of thegroove or recess l6 which receives and encompasses the beaded edge l2.The edge of the sheet metal is concealed by the rounde edge of the drum.and, conversely, the lowermost edge of the finishing paper I8 isconcealed by the inwardly folded metal edge. It

will be understood, however, that if desired the edge of the base may beotherwise folded or may even be left unfolded.

The slip cover C may be of conventional type and requires no detaileddescription. It comprises a cylindrical side wall 26 closed at one endby. a top wall 28. The exposed walls are coated with a finishing paper.The slip cover fits the side wall of the drum with a slip fit. The loweredge of the cover is protected by the outwardly projecting flange of thebottom. As has already been mentioned, the height ofthe drum'ispreferably made substantially equal to the internal height of the cover,so that the bottom may be applied while the drum is within the cover,but if the bottom is applied to the drum alone (the cover being addedlater) the drum may, of course, be made substantially less in heightthan the cover.-

A modified form of container embodying features of my invention is shownin Fig. 5. This container is generally similar to that heretoforedescribed in that it comprises a drum D the upper end of which is closedby a frangible membrane M, and the lower end of which is closed with asnap engagement by a bottom B. Inthis case, however, the bottom is madeof a moldable composition rather than sheet metal. It may be made, forexample, of a synthetic resin such as the condensation products ofphenol or urea. It is molded to a shape which provides the desiredperipheral undercut groove it, and it may, of course, also include themarginal flange 22'.

The drum D may be like that heretofore dev5 scribed, but as showndiffers in P fini hing paper extends around the curl, it being appliedafter the sealing membrane but before forming the curl. The cover C mayalso be made like that heretofore described, but the particular covershown differs in that the top 30 is secured to the side wall 32 inabutting relation by means of the covering paper 34. In the form shownin Figs. 1 through 4, the upper edge of the side wall 26 is curled at36, and the top 28 is held by the curl or bead 36. Various other formsof cover may be used, and the exact nature of the cover forms no part ofthe present invention. However, I may mention that the cover shown inFigs. 1 through 4 possesses an advantage when the bottom is applied toboth the drum and cover, as shown in Fig. 4, because the cover isadapted to rest on a, flat surface and to support the drum against thepressure of the bottom while the bottom is being pressed into place.With a cover such as is shown in Fig. 5,'it is desirable that the worktable be recessed to'mate with the convex top 30 of the coverj'so thatthe pressure caused when applying the cover will not tend to deform orflatten the cover.

It will be understood, however, that the pressure in question is notexcessive because the bottom is preliminarily tilted as shown at Fig. 4,thus bringing the bead and groove into mating relation at one side ofthe bottom. It is both dimcult and undesirable to force the bottomflatly downwardly, against the entire beaded edge because the parts arepreferably mated together very tightly. In fact, it is practicallyimpossible to pry the drum from the bottom once it has been snapped intoDIME.

It is believed that the mode of constructing .and using, as well as themany advantages of my improved sanitary sealed container, will beapparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. It willfurther be apparent that while I have shown and described my inventionin preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in thestructures disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1..A three-part container comprising a cylindrical drum closed at itsupper end by a frangible membrane but open at its lower end, arelatively thick rigid disc-like bottom for said drum, said bottomhaving an outwardly projecting flange and being arranged uponapplication with pressure from the outside to mechanically interlock.with said drum and bottom for permanently securing said bottom to saiddrum without the use of adhesives, and a readily removable slip covercomprising a top wall and a cylindrical side wall dimensioned to slipover the top of the drum to the bottom flange.

2. A three-part container comprising a. cylin-.

drical drum closed at its upper end by a frangible membrane but open atits lower end, a bottom arranged to fit the open end of the drum andupon application with pressure from the outside to permanentlymechanically interlock therewith with a snap engagement and withoutnecessitating the use of adhesive, said bottom having an outwardlyprojecting flange, and a readily removable slip cover comprising a topwall and a cylindrical side wall, said cover being dimensioned to slipover the top of the drum to the bottom flange.

3 A three-part container comprising .a cylindrical drum, the lower endof said drum being 45 curled inwardly to v 4. A three-part containercomprising a tubular lo'drum closed at its top end by a frangiblemembrane, the lower end of said drum being curled to form an edge bead,a disc-like bottom having an annular undercut groove adapted uponapplication with pressure from the outside to mate l5 snugly andpermanently with a sift-prooLsnap fit against the curled edge of thedrum, and a readily removable slip cover dimensioned to slip over the.top end of the drum.

5. A three-part container comprising a cylindrical drum closed at itstop" end by a frangible transparent membrane, the lower end of said"drum being curled inwardly to form an edge head, a disc-like bottomhaving an annular undercut groove adapted upon application with 25pressure from the outside to-mate snugly with a snap fit against thecurled edge of the drum, said bottom having a flange projectingoutwardly beyond the drum, and a slip cover comprising a top wall with acylindrical side Well, said cover 30 being dimensioned to slip over thedrum to the bottom flange. g

6. A three-part container comprisingya tubular drum closed at its topend by a frangible membrane the lower end of said drum being curled toform an edge bead, a disc-like bottom made of sheet metal shaped to forma peripheral undercut or groove adapted upon application with pressurefrom the outside to m t with the curled edge of the drum for .permanegtattach- 40 ment thereto, and a slip cover dimensioned to 'slip over thedrum.

1 7. A three-part container comprising a cylindrical drum closed its topend by a frangible membrane, the lower end of said drum being form anedge head, a disclike bottom made of sheet metal dished upwardly to-forma peri eral undercut groove mating with the curled dge of the drum, theedge of the sheet metal projecting outwardly and being 1 50 turnedinwardly to form a smooth marglnal flange and a slip cover comprising atop wall and a cylindrical side wall, said cover being dimensioned toslip over the drum to the bottom flange.

8. A three-part container comprising a cylin- 5 drlcal drum open at itsbottom end and closed at its top end by a frangible membrane, the lowerend of said drum being curled to form an edge bead, a molded disc-dikebottom shaped to ,form a peripheral undercut groove dimensioned uponapplication with pressure from the outside to mate and'to permanentlymechanically interlock with the aforesaid curled edge of the drum, and areadily removable slip cover dimensioned to slip over the top'end of thedrum.

Q 9. A three-part con tamer comprising a cylindrlcal drum open at itsbottom end and closed at its top end by a frangible membrane, the lowerend of said drum being curled inwardly to form an edge bead, a disc-likebottom molded of synthetic resinous material and shaped to form aperipheral undercut groove dimensioned upon application with pressurefrom the outside to mate and to permanently mechanically interlock withthe aforesaid curled edge of the drum 75 and to further form anoutwardly projecting marginal flange, and a. readily removable slipcover comprising a top wall and a'cylindrical side wall,-said coverbeing dimensioned to slip over the top end of the drum to the bottomflange. I l

10. A three-partsanitary sealed container for face powder or the likeadapted to beshipped and handled in two parts, one of said partscomprising a drum readily removably nested within a cover, and the dtherpart comprising a bottom, said drum comprising a cylindrical side wallclosed at one end by a frangible sealing membrane and open at-the otherend and curled 'at said open end, and said bottombeing pro vided with anannular undercut'groove dimen sioned upon application with pressure fromthe outside to mate and to mechanically interlock with the curled edgeof the drum within the cover.

11. A- three-part sanitary sealed container for face powder or the likeadapted to be shipped,

filled,- and handled in two parts, one of said parts comprising a drumremovably nested within a cover, and the other part comprising a bottom,'said cover comprising a cylindrical side "wall closed at one end by anend wall and open at its opposite end, said drum comprising acylindrical 'side wall' closed at one end by a frangible sealingmembrane and open at the other end and inwardly curled at 'said openend, said drum being so received within said cover that the open edge ofthe drum is exposed at the open edge of the cover, said bottom beingprovided'wlth an annular undercut groove dimensioned upon applicationwith pressure from the outside to mate and to-mechanically interlocksnugly with the curled edge of the drum, and a flange on said bottomprojecting outwardly from said undercut groove.

12. A-three-part container for face powder or the like comprising acylindrical drum made of unfinished cardboard closed at its top end by afrangible membrane stretched over said end and folded downwardly aboutthe cylindrical side wall, the lower end of said drum being curledinwardly to form an edge bead, a finishing band of paper cemented aroundthe drum to hold the membrane in'place and to give the exposed wallofthe drum a finished appearance, a disc-like bottom having an annularundercut groove adapted upon application with pressure from the outsideto mate snugly with the curled edge of the drum, and a readilyremovableslip cover dimensioned to .slip over the top end of the drum.

13. A three-part container comprising a cylindrical drum made ofunfinished cardboard closed at its top-end by a frangible membranestretched 'edge of the drum, said bottom having a flange projectingoutwardly beyond the drum, and a readily removable slipcover comprisinga top wall and a cylindrical side wall, said cover being dimensioned toslip over the drum to the bottom 14. A container for face powder or thelike, romprising a lower half and a mating upper half acting as aremovable cover for .the lower half acting as a removable cover for thelower half and dimensioned to fit over the lower half with a slip fit soas more or less entirely to enclose the side walls 'of the lower half,the lower half including a side wall formed of paper, cardboard,

, or like fibrous material and being entirely and permanently closed atthe bottom by a one-piece closure member of more durable material, saidclosure member being formed with a peripheral fiange underlying the'sidewall and a peripheral groove or under-cut which is mechanicallyinterlocked with the side wall, said side wall and closure member beingpreformed prior to assembly in such fashion that they may be broughtinto mechanically interlocking engagement by simply pressing or snappingthe parts together.

16. A container for face powder or the like, comprising a lower half anda mating upper half acting as a removable cover for the lower half anddimensioned to fit over the lower half with a slip fit and tosubstantially entirely enclose the lower half, the lower half includinga side wall formed of paper, cardboard, or like fibrous materialentirely and permanently closed at the b ottom by a one-piece closuremember mechanically interlocked with the sidewall, said side wall havinga preliminarily formed bead, and said closure f member having apreliminarily formed groove or undercut adapted to receive the bead, theparts being so dimensioned that pressure is required to effectinterlocking of said bead and groove.-

17 A container for face powder or the like, comprising a lower half anda mating upper half acting as a removable cover for the lower half anddimensioned to fit over the lower half with a slip fit so as tosubstantially entirely enclose the lower half, said lower half beingentirely and permanently closed at the bottom by a one-piece closuremember mechanically interlocked therewith, the side wall of the lowerhalf being curled 0 inwardly at its lower edge to form a bead, and saidclosure member having a peripheral undercut groove adapted to mate withthe curled edge bead of the side wall, the parts being so shaped, anddimensioned that they may be readily interlocked by merely pressing theparts together, yet cannot be separated except with great difiiculty orbreakage of the parts of the container.

L. HAROLD BRODRICK.

